Rock Springs, WY to Vernal, UT to Fruita, CO

June 11, 12, & 13 2010 - After an awesome trip to the Tetons and Jackson Hole, we work our way south on Hwy 191 towards Utah.  After 180 miles, we take a Motel 6 stop at Rock Springs, WY.  With a somewhat crappy, rainy drive to Rock Springs and further news on a bad weather forecast, we suit up completely before heading to our next stop near Dinosaur Monument, in Vernal, UT.

The ride out on the 191 first started off with tolerable rain, but the sooner we gained in elevation the crazier the weather became.  Rain suddenly turned into hail, then finally snow!  Climbing up to 8,400 feet, we hit a snowstorm/blizzard in the middle of June.  Cold blizzard wind and snow pounded us on the bike for 40 miles in Ashley National Forest, heading towards the scenic Flaming Gorge.  Charlie biked marvelously through that odd weather as I tried to mentally focus being hot in the desert with the reality of driving through 30 degree weather with 20 degree heavy snow flurries blasting our bodies.  113 miles heading south on the 191 from Rock Springs, we happily arrive our overnight stop in Vernal, UT.

After a semi-sunny day walking Vernal and checking out souvenir fossils, we crash after a crazy day of driving.  Driving out of Vernal, we head to Dinosaur National Monument, a short drive from our overnight stop.  Dinosaur Monument is a gorgeous landscape of textured rock, typical of the semiarid canyon climate of Utah & western Colorado.  The monument has a large deposit of dinosaur fossils with history of the Fremont Indians inhabiting the area up to 1,200 years ago.  Since their visitor center with a dinosaur quarry was closed & with thunderstorms throughout the day, we decide to get more mileage in the afternoon and head 140 miles further south on the 191 to the 40 towards Fruita, CO.  Our overnight stop at the entrance to Colorado Monument was relaxing, with a gem of a find for dinner: an honest to goodness authentic Mexican restaurant in the middle of Colorado called El Tapatio (where Charlie experienced his first authentic chicken mole).  The best we found on the trip.

At the Rock Springs Motel 6.  Monkey eating a banana, suited up for the gnarly weather to come.

Looking pretty piled on.  Outfit includes: Turtleneck wool thermal, long sleeve silk shirt, tie-dye long sleeve cardigan, hooded puff vest, long sleeve insulated jacket liner, fringe leather jacket, woolskins long underwear, slim fit denim jeans, leather chaps, Frog Toggs rain pants and eventually after the picture, an added rain jacket for a grand total of 11 items worn with 7 layers for my upper body!!!!  Gotta dress warm for the forecast of Snow! AND yet, i was still FREEZING when we drove through the snowstorm!  oops, not including my sports bra and undies... actually 13 items worn! oh, plus heavy duty wool socks!

How CUTE are the Sinclair gas stations (located in the midwestern states)?!  Dino statues at all of them!  This one was at Rock Springs, WY.  As far as my google research, this is not BP owned.